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CHAP. VI. Ciuill Customes and Arts of the INDIANS taken out of ACOSTAS 6. Boooke.
I Will first shew in what sort the Mexicans counted and diuided their yeere, their moneths,* 1.1 their Kalender, their computations, their worlds and ages. They di∣uided the yeare into eighteene moneths, to which they gaue twentie dayes, wherein the three hundred and threescore dayes are accomplished, not compre∣hending [ 10] in any of these Moneths the fiue daies that remaine, and make the yeare perfect.* 1.2 But they did reckon them apart, and called them the dayes of nothing: during the which, the people did not any thing, neither went they to their Temples, but oc∣cupied themselues onely in visiting one another, and so spent the time: the sacrificers of the Temple did likewise cease their sacrifices. These fiue dayes being past, they began the computa∣tion of the yeare, whereof the first moneth and beginning was in March, when the leaues be∣gan to grow greene,* 1.3 although they tooke three dayes of the moneth of February; for the first day of their yeare was, as it were, the six and twentieth day of February, as appeareth by their Kalender, within the which ours is likewise comprehended and contained with a very ingeni∣ous Art, which was made by the ancient Indians that knew the first Spaniards. I haue seene [ 20] this Kalender, and haue it yet in my custodie, which well deserueth the sight, to vnderstand the discourse and industrie the Mexican Indians had. Euerie one of these eighteene moneths had his proper name, and his proper picture, the which was commonly taken of the principall Feast that was made in that moneth, or from the diuersitie of times, which the yeare caused in that moneth. They had in this Kalender certaine daies marked and distinguished for their feasts. And they accounted their weekes by thirteene dayes, marking the daies with a Zero or cipher, which they multiplied vnto thirteene,* 1.4 and then began to count, one, two, &c. They did like∣wise marke the yeares of these wheeles, with foure signes or figures, attributing to euerie yeare a peculiar signe, whereof one was of a House, another of a Conie, the third of a Reede, and the fourth of a Flint. They painted them in this sort, noting by those figures the yeare that did [ 30] runne, saying of so many Houses, of so many Flints, of such a Wheele, happened such a thing. For we must vnderstand that their wheele, which was an age, contained foure weekes of yeares, euerie weeke containing thirteene yeares, which in all made fiftie two yeares. In the midst of this wheele they painted a Sun, from the which went foure beames or lines in crosse to the circumfe∣rence of the wheele, and they made their course, euen as the circumference was diuided into foure equall parts, euerie one with his line, hauing a distinct colour from the rest, and the foure colours were, Greene, Blew, Red, and Yellow: euery portion of these foure had thirteene separations which had all their signes or particular figures, of a House, a Conie, a Reede, or a Flint, noting by euery signe a yeare, and vpon the head of this signe they painted what had happened that yeare.
And therefore I did see in the Kalender mentioned the yeare when the Spaniards entered [ 40] Mexico, marked by the picture of a man clad in red, after our manner, for such was the habit of the first Spaniard, whom Fernando Cortes sent, at the end of the two and fiftie yeares, which fi∣nished the wheele. They vsed a pleasant ceremonie, which was, the last night they did breake all their vessels and stuffe, and put out their fire, and all the lights, saying, that the world should end at the finishing of one of these wheeles, and it might be at that time: for (said they) seeing the world must then end, what neede is there to prouide meate to eate, and therefore they had no further neede of Vessels nor fire. Vpon this conceit they passed the night in great feare, say∣ing, it might happen there would be no more day, and they watched verie carefully for the day; when they saw the day begin to breake, they presently beat many Drums, and sounded Cor∣nets, Flutes, and other instruments of ioy and gladnesse, saying, that God did yet prolong the [ 50] time with another age, which were fiftie two yeares. And then began another wheele. The first day and beginning of this age they tooke new fire,* 1.5 and bought new Vessels to dresse their meate, and all went to the high Priest for this new fire, hauing first made a solemne Sacrifice, and giuen thanks for the comming of the day, and prolongation of another age. This was their manner of accounting their yeares, moneths, weekes, and ages.
* 1.6ALthough this supputation of times practised amongst the Mexicans, be ingenious enough and certaine, for men that had no learning; yet in my opinion they wanted discourse and consideration, hauing not grounded their computation according vnto the course of the Moone, nor distributed their months accordingly, wherein those of Peru haue farre surpassed them: for they diuided their yeare into as manie daies, perfectly accomplished as we doe here, and into [ 60] twelue moneths or Moones,* 1.7 in the which they imploied and consumed the eleuen daies that re∣maind of the Moone, as Polo writes. To make the computation of their yeare sure and certaine, they vsed this industrie; vpon the Mountaines which are about the Citie of Cusco (where the